Feeding mechanism for blindstitch sewing-machines.



T..1. HAYES.

FEEDING MECHANI'SM PoR BLINDSJITGH SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, l9l5.

1,294,660. Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

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UNITED sTATEs IPATENT oEEioE.

THOMAS J. HAYES, OF IROSI[`.|I1\`|"DAI.|E,` MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO ARBETTER FELLING MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MAINE. y

FEEDING- MECHANISM FOR BLINDSTITCH SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Original application led August 14, 1913, Serial No.""7'8v4",687. Divided and this application led January 20, 1915. Serial No. 3,404.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. HAYES, a citizen of the United States, andy resident of Roslindale, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improve- 'ment in Feeding Mechanism for Blindstitc'h Sewing-Machines, of which the following' ldescription, in connection with the accomis a specification,- like pan in@ drawing y t like characters on the drawing representing parts. Y i

This invention relates to improvements m feeding mechanism for sewing machinesso that stitches of unequal length are formed as the seam passes the stitch forming mechanism. One of the objects of this invention is to obviate'this defect by p'roviding a feeding mechanism in which wthe feed dog is independently yieldable at each end so that the dog is permitted automatically to accommodate itself 'to any unevenness in thickness of the material andl also to provide means whereby the dog will ride easily upon the seam, engaging not v only'the seam but portions of the other surfaces of the material so that the material will be advanced uniformly notwithstanding the variation in thicknessof the goods which passes` the stitch forming mechanism.

Another object 'of the invention is to provide independently "adjustable means vfor supporting the` ends of the feed dog so that a greater Jor less pressure may be applied the heel of the feed dog 'as Another object .of the invention is to simplify the mechanism which actuates the feed dog permitting the sameto be' placed in a smaller space beneath the body portion of the machine and thereby allowing greater spacexfor the introduction of the bender mechanism or other mechanisms 'in the annexed claims.

-used in connection with the stitch forming mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to prof' vide means easily accessible to the operator for Aadjusting' the length of throw of the feed dog.

Other objects of the. inyention will more ,fully appear 'from -the'following description and drawings and will be pointed out The drawings illustratefthe mechanism isv located above the plane of the work support.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a sideelev'ation'partially in.

view through the sewing machine arm and A invention las ',applled .to a blind' stitch vsewing machine 'for felling 1n which the stitch forming base plate showing the means-'for adjusting ffii the feeding mechanism, I Y

Fig. is a detail plan view ofthe feeding` mechanism, the work supporting plate of the work support being removed to disclose more clearly the operating mechanisms, and

Fig. 5 is a detail rear elevation of they same showing` the shaft and sleeve for actuating the feeding mechanism, in section.

Fig. 6 is a detail vview of the rock shaft connecting the work support and feed The sewing machine illustrated iin the drawings comprises the usual base plate l having a standard 2 rising therefrom and supporting the overhanging` arm 3, which terminates in a'head 4 which supports the stitch forming mechanism.

' The-stitch forming mechanism disclosed herein comprises a curved oscillating needle carried by a'needle bar 5 which is pivotally mounted upon a transversel shaft 6 in suit- 'able bearings in a bifurcated bracket 7 which desirably is supported by a stem or stud 8 extending intothe lower portion of lthe head 4. The bracket 7 may be secured or other complemental stitch forming mechanism which may be actuated through a shaft 11 and suitable gears 12, 13 connecting the same to a gear 14 upon the main shaft.

Thel lower end of the extension 9 is provided with a preferably rigidl presser foot l5 against which the work is held by a yieldable work support 16. The work support 16 is preferably in the form of a substantially rectangu ar plate .carried upon the forked upper ends 17, 18 of a standard 19 which is journaled in suitable bearings in a web or bracket 20 depending from the under surface of the bed plate 1. The standard 19 is provided with a shoulder preferably' in the form of a collar 21 which rests upon the upper end of a helical spring 22 surrounding said stem 19 and seated upon the end of the bearing in which said stem is journaled.

In order to provide for :the feeding of the material between the work support and the presser foot, means are provided connecting the feed dog and the work support which will cause the feed dog to be lowered when the Work support engages the material during the stitch forming operation and which will cause the feed dog to engage the material and the work support simultaneously vto be released therefrom as the feed dog begins to move forward to advance the material beneath the presser' foot. As illustrat-ed herein the feed dog comprises the usual L-shaped cloth engaging portion 23 secured by suitable screws 24 to a feed bar 25v thus making a construction in which the feed bar and feed dog are practically integral.. The term feed dog will be used hereinafter to designate this integral memberin order to simplify the description of the operation of the mechanism which advances the work. The feed dog 25' is pro-I vided with a .longitudinally extending recess 26 adapted to receive the end of a cylindrical pin or stud 27 which is supported upon an arm 28 extending laterally from a rock shaft 29, which isournaled in a bearing 30 inthe upper portion of the standard 19,

the "opposite end of the rock shaft having v an arm 31 which is pivotally connected its end to a link 32 adapted to .be recipro- A cated from a suitable driving shaft which n willhereinafter be described. The reci rocation of the link 32 will cause the osclllawhich effects a raising and lowering of they feed dog.

In order to so support the dog that it may have a rocking movement which will permit it to ride up over seams and to accommodate itself to various differences in thickness of the material the ends of the dog are pivota-lly supportedupon yieldable members. These may be independently adjusted so that a greater or less degree of pressure may be maintained upon the toe or -u on the heel of the dog as may be desire In the construction illustrated herein this is accomplished by providing extensions 33-34 which desirably extend laterally and downwardly and are pivotally secured at their lower edges respectively to links 35, 36 the lower ends of which links are pivotally connected to pins 37-38 which desirably are slidably mounted in bosses 39 and 4G integral with the depending web or bracket 20.

he bosses are countersunk to provide seats for helical springs 41 which desirably engage at their upper ends shoulders or collars`42 upon said pins 37--38, the lower end of the springs 41 being seated in the recesses 43 of milled nuts 44-45 which are screwed into the lower end of the countersunk portion of the boss39-40. It will be obvious that by adjusting the milled nuts 44-45 the tension upon the springs which support the pins 37-38 may be independently adjusted and the toe or the heel of the'dog caused to engage the material with the amount of pressure desired. I

The extensions 33-34 of the dog are desirably' provided with slots 46-47 to receive members of pivotal guiding arms 48-49. As illustrated herein the arm 48 is ivotally secured to a stud 50 extending rom the bracket 20. The arm 49 is in the form of a fyoke having a shaft 51 engaged by the bi urcated end of anv extension 33 of the 'fd bar, the extension 33 being thus birirlamtamdlilihfmmmama erably near the edge thereof,

its opposite end to a stud or screw 56 se@ cured to the upper portion of the extension 34 of the feed dog.

It will be obvious that as the link is reciprocated by the rock shaft 52 the feed dog will be moved forward and backward and that by so timing-the-reciprocation of 28 of the rock shaft 29 so that the cloth engaging portion 23 thereof will be beneath the surface of the work support. When the feed dog is about to be advanced it will be raised to its highest limit extending above the surface of the work support and engaging the cloth.

At the same time the actuation vof the rock shaft 29 will serve vto depress the Work supf port so that the cloth will be free to move along the presser foot as the feed vanced.

In order to provide a maximum amount of room beneath the bed plate of the machine for the bender mechanism and other operative parts and also to simplify the construction of the machine I have supported the Shafts for operating the feeding mechanism fromra single series of bearings and inclosed the shaft for advancing and retracting the dog within a sleeve shaft which is operatively connected y'to the mechanism for raising and lowering the feed dog.

As illustrated herein the rock shaft 52 which reciprocates the link 55 to move the feed dog' forward and back isljournaled at its front end in a suitable bearing in the depending web or bracket '20 and at its rear end in a bracket 57 depending from the under surface of the work su port. prefhe shaft 52 is surrounded by and supports a sleeve shaft 5 8 which is provided at'its forward end with which is secured the link 32 which actuates .the rock shaft 29V to raise and lower the feed dog and work support. The sleeve shaft 58 is provided at its rear end with a similar arm 60 which is pivotally connected at its end to a link 61 which has at its opposite end a strap 62 embracing an eccentric 63 on the main shaft of the machine. The rock shaft 52 is oscillated through an arm 64 f extending laterally from its rear end which is connected to a floating link 65 which at its upper end is provided with a" yoke 66 which embraces a cam 67 upon the main shaft of the machine.

The llength of feed is controlled by the' extent of longitudinal movement of the floating link 65. The oating link 65 is dog is adconnected by a link 68 to a stud 69 in the end of one arm 70 of a bell crank lever which is pivoted upon a stud or screw 71 extending inwardly from the vertical wall of the standard 2. The other arm 72 of the bell crank lever is provided.

with a thumb screw 73 having a shank 74 extending through an arcuate slot 75 whereby the bell crank lever may be adjusted about its pivot 71. When the bell crank lever is so adjusted that the stud 69 which connects the lever 68 and the arm 70 is in the plane ofv the axis of the link 65. The vibration of the yoke 66 with the cam 67 will not cause any vertical movement of the iioating link 65 but will merely' oscillate the same. If, however the bell crank lever be so adjusted that the pivotal stud 69 lies at one side of the axial plane of the floating link 65 the oscillation ofthe yoke will cause a longitudinal movement of the floating link as well as'f'an oscillation i thereof. This longitudinal movementjof the link .65 will serve to oscillate the arm 64.

of the rock shaftltliereby transmitting an oscillating movement to the arm 53 which reciprocates the link 55 to move the dog longitudinally, and the amount of reciprocation thus transmitted to the dog may be `very accurately controlled byl the adjustment of the bell crank lever p70-72 above described.

- present invention it may be stated as disclosed herein that it comprises a bender 76 journaled in suitable bearings in bosses extending laterally from the web or bracket 20, the u per end of the bender extending through t e base plate to present a bent up or crimped portion of the goods in the path of the needle. The bender 76 isattached to a telescoping arm 77 which enters an arm 78 extending laterally from the shaft 7 9 which is mounted in suitable bearings 80-81 depending from, the bed plate of the machineat the opposite slide thereof from the side whichfsupports the feeding operating shafts.

The bender shaft 79 is .provided at its opposite end with an arm 82 which is yieldably connected bya yoke 83 and spring 84y to a rod 85 depending from ai link 86 which has at its upper end a' yoke 87 embracing a cam 88 upon the countershaft 89, the yoke 87 being maintained in proper relation to the cam by a link 90 connected to said yoke and to a stud 91 secured to the lwall lof the standard 2.* In operation the notation of the countershaft 89 through the gear 92 which meshes with a gear 93 on the main shaft causes the reciprocation of the link 86 which in turn actuates the rock shaft 79 to raise and lower the bender in s nchronism with the oscillationl of the nee le. As illustrated herein the ratio of the gears 93 92 is that of two to one and inasmuch as the needle. oscillates once upon each revolution of the main shaft the bender is thrust upwardly upon every second revolution of the main shaft.

Suitable means may be provided to raise and lower the work support in order to provide for the introduction of the material between the work support and the presser foot. As illustrated hereln the lower end of the work supporting' standard 19 is provided with a laterally extending flange or ledge 93 which may be engaged b the lever 94 ivotally mounte upon a stud 95 in a suita le boss 96 extending upward from the under surface of the bed plate, the

, opposite end of the lever 94r"being provided with a boss 97 adapted" to receivea knee lever or handle. It will be obvious that by pressing laterally upon the boss 97 the lever 94 may be rocked. to depress the work support in the usual manner.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure-by Letters Patent is:

l. Ina sewing machine having a yieldable work support, stitch forming mechanism and a presser foot located above said work support; a feed dog, a rock shaft mounted in said work support and means connecting said rock shaft to said work support operable upon the oscillation of said rock shaft to move said support and said do alternately in cooperative relation with sai presser foot and means for impartin forward and backward movement to Sai feed dog.

2. In a sewing machine having a yieldable work support and stitch forming mecha.-

' nism and a presser foot located above said work support; a, feed dog, a rock shaft mounted in said work support and having an arm pivotally and slidably connected to said feed doc adapted upon actuation of said rock shaft alternately to move said support anddog into ccperative' relation with said presser-,foot and=- means for imparting forward and backward movementto said feed dog.

3. In a sewing machine having a yieldable work support, a stitch forming mechanism, anda resser foot located above the same; a feed og, means for pivotally connecting said work support and-feed dog operable to move said support and do alternately into cooperative ,relation to sai presser foot, an adjustable yieldable4 means independently supporting the ends of said feed do whereby the pressure of the heel and toe o the said dog may be regulated.

4. 'A sewing machine having a bed plate, a

work su port yieldably supported therefrom an stitch forming mec anism located above said work support, lugs projecting downwardly from the said bed plate, sliding members yleldably mounted in said lugs, a vfeed do means connecting said feed dog to said yie dable members to provide for the inmechanism comprising a feed dog, indepen entlyyieldable su porting bearlngs for the ends of said feed og, a rock shaft 'ournaled in said work support and rovided with an arm slidably enga 'ng sai feed dog, means for actuatin sai rock shaft to cause the feed dog an work support alternately to be raised and lowered in respect to the presser foot, and means for impartin a forward and backward movement to said eed dog.

6. In a sewing machine com rising a rigid presser foot, a yieldable wor sup rt and stitch formin mechanism in operailile relation thereto, eedin mechanism comprising a feed dog, indepen ent means for yieldabl supporting the ends of said dog, a rock sha journaled 1n said work'su port and provided with an armpivotally an `slidably engaging said feed dog, means for actuating said rock shaft to raise and lower said dog relatively to the surface of the work support and means for impartin forward and backward movement to sai dog.

7. A sewing machine having a bed plate, a work support and stitch formlng mechanism, feeding mechanism comprising a feed dog having a downward, laterally slotted extension at each end, yielding members slidably mounted in journals su ported by said bed' plate, links connecting t e ends of said memers to said feed dog extensions, pivotally mounted guiding links engaging the slots of said extensions, means for ralsing and lowering said feed dog and means for imparting a 'backward and forward movement to the .said feed dog to cause an u ward and downward Y movement of said og.

9. In a sewing machine, a bed plate, stitc lforming mechanism, a feed Ydo means fol.' operatin said feed dog comprising a solid rock sha t supported in bearings depending from said bed plate, means connecting said rock shaft to said feed dog to cause forward and backward movement thereof, a sleeve surrounding said rock shaft, means connecting said sleeve with said feed dog to cause upward and downward movement thereof, and means for actuating said rock shaft and said sleeve.

10. In a sewing machine a bed plate, stitch forming mechanism in operative relation in respect thereto, a feed dog, means for actuating the Same comprising a solid rock shaft journaled in bearings beneath the bed plates, means connecting said rock shaft to 15 said feed dog to cause forward and backward movement thereof, means for adjustin the amplitude of oscillation of said roc shaft, a sleeve Surrounding said rock shaft and supported thereby, means for oscillating said sleeve and means connecting said sleeve 20 to said feed dog for imparting an up and down movement to said dog.

ln testimonyy whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS J. HAYES.

VViitnesses:

ALICE Gr. NIXON, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND. 

